Minecraft Adventurer

Use blocks of code to take Steve or Alex on an adventure through this Minecraft world.

 ⎙ Printing Options
Active section:
Select a section

 Lesson 1: Minecraft Hour of Code

In this lesson, learners of all ages get an introductory experience with coding and computer science
in a safe, supportive environment. This lesson works well for any students old enough to read (ages
6+). Younger learners will probably not finish the tutorial, but will have lots of fun working through
the puzzles for an hour. High school students will mostly finish the tutorial and have some time to
play on the free play level at the end.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Lesson 1: Minecraft Hour of Code
5 minutes

Overview Objectives
In this lesson, learners of all ages get an introductory Students will be able to:
experience with coding and computer science in a safe,
supportive environment. This lesson works well for any Define “coding” and “computer
students old enough to read (ages 6+). Younger learners science”
will probably not finish the tutorial, but will have lots of fun Identify key computer science
working through the puzzles for an hour. High school vocabulary
students will mostly finish the tutorial and have some time Identify places to go to continue
to play on the free play level at the end. learning computer science and
coding
Purpose
This lesson introduces the core CS concepts of coding and Preparation
programming (using blocks), as well as simple debugging
techniques. One Week Before Your Hour
Agenda of Code
Getting Started (5 minutes) Review the Hour of Code Educator
Introduction Guide and Best Practices from
Successful Educators in order to
Activity (30-45 minutes) begin to plan your Hour of Code
Minecraft Adventurer event.
Assessment (2 minutes) Register your Hour of Code event
if you’d like to receive swag or
Wrap Up (5 minutes) classroom support.
Debrief Review and complete the online
Celebrate tutorial yourself: Minecraft:
Next Steps Adventurer
Extended Learning Be sure to test it first before asking
Beyond an Hour of Code your students to complete it. Check
your technology and decide if you
need to troubleshoot anything in
advance of your Hour of Code.

One Day Before Your Hour

of Code
Print one or more of the Exit Ticket
examples at the end of this lesson
plan, or create your own.
 Each student who completes the
activity should receive a certificate.
Print one for each student in
advance to make this easier at the
end of your Hour of Code.
Vocabulary
Debugging - Finding and fixing
problems in an algorithm or
program.
Program - An algorithm that has
been coded into something that
can be run by a machine.
code - (v) to write code, or to write
instructions for a computer.

Teaching Guide
Getting Started (5 minutes)
Introduction
Setting the Stage
Welcome students to class and very briefly introduce the day’s activity.
Say: “Today we’re going to spend one hour learning to code. Has anyone here heard the term “code”
before? What does it mean?”
Students might mention that a “code” is like a secret message, or that it’s related to computers in some
way.

 Teaching Tip 

One way to introduce the Hour of Code if you are not very familiar with coding yourself is to show one
of our inspirational videos. Choose one you think your students will find inspiring, and share it now. For
young learners, we suggest “The Hour of Code is Here.”

Explain that in computer science, “code” means a set of instructions that a computer can understand. Let
students know that today, they are going to practice “coding,” “programming” and “debugging”.
Define:
Coding means to write code, or to write instructions for a computer.
Programming, similarly, means to write code or instructions. Today, you will program with blocks on the
computer (if you’re using an online tutorial) or with pen and paper (if you’re using an unplugged
activity).
Debugging means to check code for mistakes and try to fix errors.

 Teaching Tip 
 You’ll want to spend very little time front-loading or introducing your Hour of Code. Especially with
young learners, it’s best to jump in as quickly as possible. Too much explanation or lecture at the
beginning tends to spoil the fun, and fun is the whole point!

Activity (30-45 minutes)

Minecraft Adventurer
Challenge your students to complete the Minecraft: Adventurer tutorial.
Depending on the age and ability of your students, you might consider:
For younger students, we suggest you break your class into pairs and ask each group to work together
to complete the tutorial using pair programming.
For learners in the middle grades, we find that working independently on tutorials works well.
Sometimes it helps to allow students to choose their own tutorial. If students aren't interested in
Minecraft, they can get a similar experience with the Code with Anna and Elsa or Star Wars tutorials.
For older or adult learners, the Minecraft tutorial works extremely well either as an independent
challenge or a pair programming activity.

 1-14
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

 Teaching Tip 

Be sure to play through your chosen tutorials yourself, before asking your students to attempt them.
That way you’ll know what to expect and can make decisions about whether to let students choose
their own tutorial, or if you want to assign tutorials based on student needs.

If a group or individual finishes early, they can attempt another tutorial by visiting code.org/learn.

Assessment (2 minutes)
Give each student an “Exit Ticket” and ask them to summarize what they learned today, how they felt, or
what they experienced. Students can draw, write or express themselves in any way they feel comfortable.
Collect an “Exit Ticket” from each student on their way out of the room. If you like, you can post the “Exit
Tickets” on a bulletin board or some place prominent in the school as a reminder of your Hour of Code.

Wrap Up (5 minutes)
Debrief
Ask students to reflect on the day’s activities. What did they learn about coding? Programming?
Debugging? How do they feel about computer science and code after spending one hour exploring?
Celebrate
Explain that you are spending one hour coding today, because this week is CS Education Week, and
millions of other students across the globe have also been learning one Hour of Code this week.
Congratulate students on being part of this world wide movement.
Give each student a certificate with his or her name on it.

Next Steps
Let students know that if they enjoyed today’s activity, they have many options for continuing to code.
Encourage students to visit code.org/learn for a list of options, or, if you’re planning any of the extension
activities that follow, tell students what’s coming next in your classroom.

Extended Learning
Beyond an Hour of Code
After your Hour of Code ends, there are many ways to continue teaching computer science in your K-5
classroom. Here are some ideas:
Teach the Code Studio Computer Science Fundamentals courses. These four courses are designed
for young learners. Students work their way through a series of puzzles that teach them to code, and
educators have access to engaging lesson plans that help make the learning coming alive. Code.org
offers free professional development for these courses, online or in-person.
Visit You can Teach Computer Science for more course suggestions.
Invite a computer science expert to talk to your class about his or her work. Don’t know any local
computer scientists? Reach out to a volunteer on our volunteer map

This work is available under a Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).
If you are interested in licensing Code.org materials for commercial purposes contact us.